Animated sign



Nov. 3, 1942. B. R. GLUKE S ANIMATED SIGN Original Filed Aug. 22, 1940 f /.UkY wv v wu. m2 m 5 mdMMm r B we ,ea By patented Nov. 3, 1942 ICE 2,300,447 ANIMATED SIGN Bernard R. Glukes, Chicago, 111., assignor of twenty-five per cent to Robert L. Kahn Continuation of application SerialNo. 353,717,

August 22, 1940. Th

Serial No. 396,068

is application May 31, 1941,

4 Claims. (Cl. 40-132) This invention relates to an animated sign and more particularly to that type of animated sign operating by virtue of cyclic color effects.

As is well known, it is possible to animate a sign by having indicia thereon in several different colors and selectively illuminate the same by cyclically varying the color of illumination. The

colors should be contrastin and chromatically exclusive; i. e., have little, or no common ingredient shades or colors, For best results, the colors should be primary and complemental such as red and green. The illumination should also have the same colors and when cyclically varied at proper speeds may impart animation.

In the use of a sign of this type, the illusion of animation is of paramount importance. One factor in this is the purity of the colors both of the sign and light. Because of expense, desirable color values are ordinarily difficult to attain. Thus the degree of effect on the observer is substantially reduced. Another factor in this type of sign resides in the manner of delineation of the indicia. It is clear that the effectiveness of the sign may be seriously impaired by improper delineation.

By virtue of this invention, it is possible to increase the illusion of animation over that present in the art and accomplish this in a simple and inexpensive manner. My invention attains the above by effectively increasing the apparent color purity of an illuminated indicia element and by arranging the indicia elements in such a manner that the most effective utilization of the apparently pure colors is attained.

It is well known that paints and pigments having the characteristics of pure colors are uncommon andas a rule expensive. This invention attains the same result by the use of ordinary reds and greens and light diffusing means. Thus the indicia elements may consist of painted transparent red and green. The light sourcemay have the same colors by utilizing transparent painted windows. Between the colored light source and indicia elements is disposed a light diffuser, This may be opalescent glass or glass having a sand blasted surface or any other translucent means. The translucent means is preferably neutral white so that no effect on the 0010? values results, apart from diffusion.

The interposition of a light difiuser between the colored light source and transparent or translucent colored indicia results in an apparent purification of the colors. Thus as each color is illuminated, the indicia assumes a rich deep hue which is chromatically so distinct from the Between the differently colored indicia elements.

temporarily undesired color that selective illii mination is effectively attained, The two colors are rendered more exclusive and thus the illusion of animation may be heightened.

The indicia to be illuminated are disposed against an opaque background. The indicia 'ele= ments themselves are preferably arranged in such a manner that a pair of differently colored ele ments form a pair of indicia elements whose composite boundary completely or to a large defree is free of other indicia elements. 'I'husfo-r certain effects, each indicia element may be comparatively small in all dimensions. In such a case, a pair of adjacent differently colored indicia elements will form an illusion unit. There is an opaque separation between adjacent pairs of illusion units at least along one. dimension, and it is preferably of the order of the dimensions of each indicia element in an illusion pair and will be determined by the character of indicia and V the frequency of cyclic color changes. I

Thus a rotating or oscillating circle may appear by having pairs of illusion units disposed in a circle, depending upon how near the adjacent unpaired elements are to each other. The separate indicia forming a pair of illusion units are preferably immediately adjacent each other and have substantially no opaque separation.

It is also possible to use long narrow indicia elements lying alon each other to form an elongated illusion unit. One elongated illusion unit is surrounded on all sides by opaque background.

forming one long illusion unit is substantially'no opaque background.

Thus in all kinds of indicia elements, the illumination will shift from one indicia element to the other of each illusion pair. Inasmuch as the effect of persistance of vision is somewhat difierent with different colors, it is possible to obtain an illusion of motion in one direction by proper speed of color change and adjustment of time of illumination of one color with respect to the other. The resultant illusion is thus a composite of persistence of vision of different colors, some chromatic aberration and obscure action of. the eyes.

The invention will now be explained in connection with the drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of an animated sign, certain parts being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view online 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Figs. 3 to 5 show details of indicia elements.

A base I!) of any suitable material and size carries a motor ll having a drive shaft !2 supporting a cylinder l3. Cylinder I3 is a composite of two or more transparent sections l4 and 15 having complementary colors such as red and green. The sections may be of colored transparent material such as glass, Celluloid, oiled paper or other material. The color may be obtained in any desired manner as by paint, pigment, water color and may be in the material originally or applied later. The values of the color are unimportant within wide ranges. No spectroscopic or other analysis is necessary to determine the degree of exclusiveness of the colors. Within cylinder I3 is a light. l8, here shown as an incandescent lamp. Light source i8 is substantially neutral and together with rotating cylinder I3 forms a source of cyclically varying red and green light.

It is understood that any cyclically varying source of two colors may be used. The variation may be produced by operating upon different light sources or interposing diiferently colored transparent members. The number, size, arrangement and shape of each colored transparent section may be varied as desired, as is well known in the art.

The variation from one color to ano her and back again may occur over a substantial range of frequency. Thus from about two cycles per second to as much as about twenty cycles per second will yield a large variety of effects. In addition, each cycle need not have equal time intervals for each color. Thus if red and green are'the colors, green may be on as long as red, or may be on for a shorteror longer time interval than red. In fact, each cycle need not necessarily be repeated exactly. It is possible to have a slower cyclic variation superimposed upon the ordinary color Variations. Thus in the mechanism shown, by having the motor cyclically speed up and slow down, a variation in the color change cycle is superimposed. The same effect may be produced in other ways, as by having a large number of pairs of color sections on the cylinder with some pairs of different size, shape, angular extent, etc., than others.

It is understood that while part i3 is shown as a cylinder it may have any configuration or shape desired.

A hood or box 23 cooperates with base Ill and is adapted to enclose the entire mechanism. A window 2| is provided for carrying a screen or sign to be illuminated from cylinder I3. Window 2| may be flat, cylindrical or any shape and may be disposed in any desired'relation to cylinder 13. As shown here, window 2! is flat and its plane is parallel to the axis of cylinder l3. Window 2| carries a light diffusing member 22 of milk glass or similar material having light diffusing properties. The dilfuser may be disposed any where between cylinder 13 and the sign and includes both the cylinder and sign as possible locations. Thus cylinder sections M and I may be of light diffusing material having the proper color.

The sign bearing element is a transparent sheet 24 disposed adjacent the diffuser 22. The sheet may be plain window glass. If diffuser 22 and glass 24 are combined into one, then diffuser 22 would be considered as the sign bearing mem ber. However, asshown, a separate glass sign bearing member 24 is provided. i

Sign bearing member 24 is painted or rendered opaque in any suitable manner, except where sign indicia elements are provided. The sign indicia elements have some light transmitting properties and may either be translucent or transparent. As a rule the indicia elements may be created by painting with ordinary colored paints. The colors used for the indicia elements about match the colors used in cylinder l3.

The indicia elements in general come in pairs with the elements of each pair being differently colored. Thus if red and green are the colors under consideration, one element of a pair would be red and the other would be green. It is obvious that the shape and'disposition of pairs of indicia elements are unlimited. However in general, the elements of any pair are disposed close to each other so that one common boundary between the two is formed. This boundary is preferably so thin that substantially no opaque background is provided. Otherwise the pair of elements forms an island completely surrounded by an opaque background. The distance between the closest unpaired elements should always be about equal and may be larger than the smallest dimension of an element.

Thus for example, Fig. 1 shows a pair of con centric .circular arcs consisting of elements 30 and 3! as one pair and elements 32 and 33 as another pair. Elements 30 and 3| may be colored red and green and have a common boundary 34 therebetween. Elements 32 and 33 may also be colored red and green and have a common boundary 35 therebetween. In this case, elements 3| and 32 are the closest unpaired elements and are separated by a distance on the opaque background substantially of the order of the smallest element dimension, the width in this case.

On Fig. 3, there is shown a five pointed star having elements and M. Fig. 4 has a single pair of concentric circles formed of elements 42 and 43. In all these indicia elements, the shape of theelement is elongated. Thus the effective movement will be perpendicular to the elements.

In Fig. 5, a circle consisting of arcs of element pairs is shown. Each arc portion consists of elements 35 and 46 of different complementary Q: colors. Thus an effect of oscillatory motion is produced.

Opaque spaces 41 between adjacent elements may be cut down to nothing if desired in which case continuous motion will be simulated. In this instance the entire circle may be considered as formed of paired elements with adjacent pairs having an element in common and all elements having opaque regions .on the inner and outer sides. It is preferred to have as much of the element boundary as possible bordering on opaque background in this case. Thus where paired elements merge into each other, it is preferred to have them form a more or less continuous compositeelement. The common boundary between paired elements extends along one dimension and the other dimension lies along opaque background.

Other arrangements of indicia are possible and both long and short elements may be used. It is obvious that each element need not be regular in shape and may have any desired outline necessary.

It is understood that the position of the light diffusing element is unimportant and that the precise composition may be varied. Thus opalescent glass, moulded translucent glass, waxed paper may be effectively used.

This is a continuation of my application Serial No. 353,717, filed August 22,- 1940,

What is claimed is:

1. An animated sign comprising a transparent sheet of glass or the like, means providing an opaque background on said sheet, painted indicia elements on said sheet, said elements comprising alternate elements of complementary and exclusive colors, said elements being at least translucent, means for directing on the reverse of said elements alternately light of substantially the color of each indicia element, and means for dififusing the colored light prior to its falling upon the indicia elements, whereby enhanced animation results by virtue of transmitted light.

2. An animated sign comprising an opaque background having colored translucent sign indicia, said indicia comprising at least one pair of indicia elements having colors which appear to be substantially complementary and exclusive, means for directing on the reverse of said sign indicia alternately light of substantially the color of each one indicia color, and a diffusing neutral translucent member in the path of said colored light prior to its falling upon said colored indica elements, the colors changing at a speed Within which persistence of vision operates, whereby enhanced animation results by virtue of transmitted light.

3. An animated sign comprising an opaque background having colored translucent sign indicia, said indicia comprising at least one pair of indicia elements having colors which appear to be substantially complementary and exclusive,

a substantially neutral source of light at the reverse side of said indica elements, transparent colored members having colors substantially that of the indicia elements, means for alternately disposing said colored members between said light source and indicia elements whereby the light falling thereon is alternately colored, and means for diffusing said colored light prior to its reaching said indicia elements, the colors changing at a speed within which persistence of vision operates, whereby enhanced animation results by virtue of transmitted light.

4. An animated sign comprising means for generating alternately beams of colored light, said colors being substantially complementary and exclusive, means for diffusing said light beams and a sign carrying screen for receiving said diffused colored beams on the reverse side, said screen comprising an opaque background having translucent indicia elements thereon, said background being omitted at said elements, said indicia elements comprising at least one pair of elements having colors substantially matching the beam colors, said elements of a pair being so disposed as to have one common boundary with a substantial amount of opaque background enclosing said elements on all remaining sides, said colors changing at a speed within which persistence of vision operates, whereby enhanced animation results by virtue of transmitted light.

BERNARD R. GLUKES. 

